Shadow the Hedgehog: Power Beyond Chaos
by smileaway96
Summary: Set in the world of "Sonic Battle", Rouge the bat helps Shadow to escape from his cylindrical prison in Gimme Shelter. However, she has nothing for them to do. What happens when they stumble upon a mysterious disturbance in Shadow's Chaos Control on Emerald Beach? Review, please! Due to a change in plans, I've changed the separate parts to chapters. Same story, though! :)
1. Chapter 1

Rouge the bat stepped out of the casino near her home in Night Babylon, flipping through the greenbacks that she had earned.

"Another successful night," she sighed, exhausted. Rouge was infamous for cheating and stealing from others, especially on her casino nights. Although she was a trained agent for G.U.N, the law enforcement and military organization, Rouge was also a professional jewel thief, being an uncanny lover of shiny things. Stuffing the money into her pocket, Rouge rolled up her glove to check the time. 1:15 A.M. Another deep sigh. "I've been trying to get more sleep in lately. Oh, well." She glanced up at the flashing lights that surrounded the streets.

Rouge cast her gaze upon a darker building, one that was not brightly lit or colorful. It was a rounded metal building with smoke emerging in black clouds from the pipes that protruded from the roof. From the back, it didn't look like much, but from the front, the gray building was the shape of a face—a face with circular glasses, a pointy-haired mustache, and large square teeth that served as windows and the front doors. Only one person would build something in such a shape—the notorious Doctor Robotnik.

Rouge yawned, deciding that she didn't want to go to bed yet. _I need some excitement,_ she thought, heading towards the gray building, _some sorta thrill. I'll head over there for some fun_.

Gimme Shelter—the darkest building in all of Night Babylon. Rouge crept to the door, and, with a short scan of the area to check for robot guards, she rapidly typed the code on the keypad that rested on the door, having learned it by heart. The teeth-doors slid open smoothly; Rouge peered inside and then flipped off to the side wall. _Empty,_ she thought after scouring the area_. The old man is probably sleeping somewhere else. _Relaxing since she didn't have to sneak around, Rouge jumped up and fluttered her night-black wings to silently glide across the room full of robotic prototypes and parts that were laid out on sleek counter-tops and tables. She passed by the Mother Computer—a supercomputer that was capable of accessing government files and top-secret material with the touch of a button. At least, this is what Rouge had previously used it for. The Mother Computer was the center of information in the entire area, which was useful for Robotnik especially.

Rouge flattened herself out on the wall next to another sleek metal door labeled, "Project Shadow-Top Secret". Not a robot or Phi in sight! Rouge smoothed out her short white hair in her pride and then tapped the passcode into the next keypad. Breaking into a lab was a task that Rouge had learned over and over, making it the easiest part of being a thief and a spy. Once again, the door slid open and Rouge glided into the next room.

A single light shone in the very center of the room, where a large glass tube was protruding in the center of the floor. In the tube, there was a dark figure, suspended in some sort of liquid. Project Shadow.

"Wake up, Shadow . . ." Rouge muttered as she tapped a button, " . . . I'm gonna bust you out."

The liquid drained from the tube, all running to the bottom like a whirlpool. The glass ascended into the metal cylinder that held it steady from above. Steam poured out from every direction, causing Rouge to cough.

"Dramatic, much?" she uttered through the steam.

"Hmph." Once the fog cleared, the dark figure stepped forward towards Rouge. Black and red spikes protruded from his head and back. Shadow the hedgehog.

"Well, Shadow, how do ya feel?" Rouge set her elbow on his shoulder playfully. Shadow shoved it off with force.

"Fine, Rouge. Why did you wake me?"

"I felt lonely and needed some company to hang out with tonight. I was only trying to have a little fun."

"Ha! 'Fun' . . . what a ridiculous word. Surely you aren't intending to take me to help you steal, are you?" Before Rouge could give an answer, an alarm went off and robots suddenly flooded into the room, backing Rouge and Shadow against the wall. Rouge went into a fighting stance, eager and ready to battle. Shadow merely stood his ground with a scowl on his face. "See what you've gotten us into?" he said, gesturing to the swarms of robots. Rouge shrugged.

"Excuse me for trying to help you," she retorted. Shaking his head, Shadow grabbed her by the arm. "Hey!"

"Chaos Control!" he shouted. There was a flash, and then the robots stopped in confusion. The two figures had vanished.

* * *

Rouge and Shadow reappeared on a beach-Emerald beach. The sound of the waves was soothing, even in the dark. Rouge broke the quiet feeling of the sandy coastline.

"Why did you do that? I was ready to fight!" she exclaimed, frowning and crossing her arms. Shadow produced his Chaos Emerald, tossing it freely.

"I wasn't about to start any trouble with those metal beasts. Eggman's been making them more powerful, you know," Shadow smirked. A mist of waves cut the quiet atmosphere of the night, roaring every time they crashed into the shore.

"Well, that was my idea of fun," Rouge remarked. Shadow shrugged.

"Obviously a dangerous one." he said. Rouge sighed.

"Well, now what?"

"You tell me. I'm not about to find something productive for the two of us to do. You released me for a reason, so find one, even if the reason is made up." Rouge paced in a circle, thinking and trying to devise plans for the rest of the night. Shadow began to create ripples in the sand gently with his mind, which was controlled by the Chaos Emerald. There was a smooth ripple every time . . . Shadow shut his eyes, still moving the sand. Gently and slowly the grains lifted and descended . . . smoothly. It was a very relaxing sensation.

All at once, a disturbance, not in the beach itself, but in the sensation, occurred. Shadow's red eyes snapped open and the sand waves stopped. They weren't alone on the beach.

"Rouge, I need you to follow me," he called out. Rouge, exasperated, threw up her arms and sighed.

"I guess I have no other choice, Mr. 'I'm-not-finding-anything-productive'," she thought, fluttering her black wings and trying to keep up with Shadow.

Shadow used his Chaos Control to find the disturbance. It wasn't too far away—just another sixty feet. Rouge panted, her eyes watering from the sand being kicked up under Shadow's air shoes. She flew higher to avoid any more sand in her face. Shadow started muttering to himself.

"Why the rush?" Rouge called down. Shadow, without looking up at her, responded.

"There's something over here." Shadow halted at a massive cliff. There was a cave entrance where Shadow and Rouge had stopped. The waves echoed through it. Shadow took the opportunity to walk into it without hesitation. Rouge did hesitate, however.

"Shadow, what are you doing?"

"I'm investigating this crevice," he replied, his deep voice already echoing through the cave, "and I'll need you to watch my back."

"Nothing like the feeling of being wanted," Rouge muttered under her breath. She descended into the cave behind Shadow.

Shadow had stopped running, and Rouge had dropped to the ground. She still had every intention of picking an argument.

"What did you sense while I was pacing? Some sort of joke, maybe?" Shadow gave her a glare.

"Do I seem like the kind to joke around?" he asked threateningly. Rouge, knowing him all too well, was not taken aback by his intimidation.

"Well, then, what was it? A waterfall? Or an alien invasion?"

"Shut up. I don't know what it was, so stop the questions." Rouge decided that it was pointless to continue arguing with him, so she shut her mouth and walked along with him.

Shadow stopped walking. He paused and looked around. There was a gap in the wall; another opening that led to the beach. More calming waves were throwing themselves over the sands. Shadow narrowed his blood-red eyes.

"Over there," he mumbled. Rouge gave him a questioning look.

"What? What's over there?"

"It's . . ." Shadow, for the first time, hesitated to approach whatever it was. " . . . I don't know. I'm going to find out. If something should happen to me, don't try anything. Just go back home." Rouge stepped back.

"Oh, please, Shadow. You're overreacting." Without warning, she flew over to the shore. Shadow growled.

"_No,"_ he hissed, "you ignorant-"

"Shadow! Come here!" Her yell was faint over the waves, but Shadow heard it clear as day. He glided over to her. Rouge didn't seem alarmed, but instead in awe . . . or shock. Shadow stopped and looked at what had caused the disturbance in his sensation. Washed up from the shore was a figure with a drenched blue dress. It was . . . a girl.


	2. Chapter 2

The girl's hair was dirty blond; her skin was an olive shade. She wore a simple sky-blue dress with a royal blue sash tied around the waist. Shadow gently pushed the blond hair from the girl's closed eyes. Rouge was afraid to touch the girl, or even check for a pulse. She instead retreated with wide eyes.

"She's not . . . _dead_, is she?" Rouge stuttered nervously.

"Dead? Doubt it . . ." Shadow replied, looking at the face for color. There were a few scratches and slight bruises, but no other major injuries to the head. He looked at the arms and legs of the body carefully, checking for wounds. "I don't see any wounds, either. No blood . . ." Rouge stared at the body.

"What if she's on Eggman's side?" shee inquired, becoming slightly worried. Shadow sensed her fear.

"I'm more curious about how she washed up on this beach and where she came from," Shadow said, his voice trailing off enigmatically. He gently pulled the girl's torso up from under her arms, attempting to lift her all the way. In failing to do so, Shadow motioned to Rouge. "Well? Get her out of the water! Help me lift her up."

Reluctantly, Rouge took the girl's legs and the two of them managed to move the girl to safety a little closer to the cave. The waves crashed against the shore again, this time with more force. A chilly breeze came and went, signaling a storm. Shadow, unlike Rouge, was less concerned with the storm and more concerned with the mysterious girl.

"I don't like the look of those waves," Rouge said, wary of her surroundings.

"Hmph. Whatever happened to your sense of adventure?" Shadow retorted without emotion. Rouge sighed.

"We need to get her to a hospital or something; this probably isn't for us to get into."

"Ha! What happened to the Rouge I know?"

"Oh, stop it!" While the two argued, the girl's eyelids fluttered. She began to hear sounds—waves, mostly. Voices. Strange voices. The girl moved her head, groaning . Shadow was the first to hear her, and so he immediately turned back to the girl, not touching her, but instead waiting to look into her eyes once they opened.

The girl did not open her eyes—yet. She felt the ground below her; a sandy terrain. Wet sand . . . some rocks and branches harmlessly poking her arms as she stretched. Shadow, being cautious, was the first to speak. He asked a fierce question, showing no emotion or sympathy.

"Who are you?"

The girl's eyes finally opened—not slowly, but sharply. Shadow gazed into the human's eyes with fascination. They were sky-blue and, at the moment, completely innocent and frightened. When she spoke, the girl's voice shook.

"Who . . . who am I?" Rouge kept her distance, as if she was ready to attack. Shadow retained his defiant look, although something, upon seeing the girl's eyes, instantly went off inside of him—something soft and less harsh.

"That's what I said. Are you a friend, or a foe?"

"I'm . . . I'm a friend . . ." The girl stood up slowly, observing the landscape. It was dark and quiet, except for the increasingly loud waves. Rouge stepped closer, trying to seem more intimidating.

"You weren't sent here to fight, were you?" she said in her most challenging voice. The girl recoiled, upset.

"N-no . . . I don't want to fight . . . " the girl seemed as though she was close to tears. Shadow did not move. Her voice was so soft and feminine . . . just like . . .

"Maria . . ." Rouge sharply jerked her head, looking back at Shadow, her eyes wide.

"Shadow, this can't be her."

Shadow replied, avoiding any discussion.

"No. It's not her. Who are you? What is your name?" The girl paused for a moment, confused.

"My name is Marie. I'm . . . I'm not trying to start any trouble, I promise." _Marie. _Shadow blinked once, seeming unmoved, although he was truly in complete wonder. Humans, after all, were very intriguing. Rouge bent down on one knee.

"As long as you don't try anything, we won't hurt you," she said with more feminine charm. Marie looked up at the two figures in awe.

"I won't," she promised. Shakily, Shadow helped the girl stand up. He continued to gaze at her curiously. Since he appeared threatening, Marie backed away. "Please don't hurt me . . . I won't do anything. But I do need to know where I am . . ." Rouge gave Shadow a look of disapproval.

"We're not here to _hurt_ you. You're on Emerald beach." she said, answering both questions. Marie widened her eyes. "I've . . . never heard that name before."

Shadow raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Where are you from?" he asked. Marie didn't answer. She was shaking her head, lost in her own thoughts and mumbling while doing so. Shadow grew impatient with her. "I said, _where are you from?_" he growled, becoming suspicious and advancing towards her. Rouge seized his arm.

"Don't start anything, Shadow. I don't think we should make her any more upset." Rouge warned. Shadow was breathing more heavily now. He could see _her_ in this mysterious girl . . . he could see Maria. The hair, the eyes, the voice . . . it all reminded him of _her_. But it wasn't Maria. Shadow felt a horrible rage build up—he didn't _want_ to be reminded of Maria. Too many painful memories came back all at once. Rouge could almost see the fury brimming in him, and she tried to hold him back.

"Get it together, Shadow!" she hissed as Marie remained lost in her own world, still trying to make sense of things. Shadow wriggled out of Rouge's grip.

"Let's get out of here."

"What? Shadow, you're acting like a child!"

"_So what?_ I refuse to revisit so many painful memories! _Let's go!_" Shadow's roar came as a shock. Marie turned her head to catch a glimpse of what was going on. Before she could say anything, Shadow, in a trembling voice, cried, "Chaos Control!"

The sand ripples that Shadow had made before grew into waves—_huge_ waves. Rouge flew to safety, while Marie, the helpless human, stood in fear, her mouth agape. The sand-tsunami blew her back with force, throwing her back into the water. Rouge, panting from the intensity of sudden attack, stood there, outraged.

"What was that for, you idiot?" she shrieked, horrified. Shadow's face became emotionless once again.

"She brought back too many painful memories . . ." Rouge hadn't heard the excuse. She had gone to retrieve Marie from the water, carrying her back to the beach. Marie spluttered, gagging on salt water. Shaken, she looked away from Shadow's evil glare as Rouge set her back on the ground.

"I'm . . . I'm sorry! I-I didn't . . . mean to do anything . . ." Rouge patted her shoulder, for once showing some compassion.

"You didn't do anything. It's this . . . this drama queen who's causing trouble. We really ought to get you home," Rouge added quickly after Shadow gave her the evil eye. Shadow closed his eyes.

"Yes . . ." he whispered, "you ought to go home, Marie." He looked into her eyes again. A spark of fear ignited in them. Shadow began to realize her fear and set his gloved hand on her shoulder. "I apologize for my behavior. You're . . ." his voice trailed off.

"W-what? What am I?" Shadow took the girl's chin in his hand.

"You remind me of someone I knew, and she was . . . she was lovely . . ." he said quickly, turning away and blushing madly after saying it. _Crap, I'm an idiot . . . I'm such an idiot. . . _He didn't want to see the girl's or Rouge's reaction after he said that. "Oh, Maria . . ."


	3. Chapter 3

Marie told her own story to the two in the hopes that they would help her find her way home. However, it seemed that her memory was very foggy and she could hardly remember every detail. Nevertheless, she told about everything that she recollect.

"I was standing on a busy city street, trying to catch a bus," she started, "but every time I saw one, it was driving away. So I decided to just walk home and forget about the buses. It was a very nice walk, but it looked like it was going to rain. I remember . . . there was a flash of lightning, and then the rumble of thunder and then the sound of people . . . screaming." Marie paused, looking at the sand as she tried to remember. "I didn't think much of the screaming—city streets can get pretty dangerous. But when I walked a little further, there was a crowd of people all gathered around something. I didn't want to associate with whatever it was, because it might as well have been a street fight. I walked past the crowd and then . . ." Another pause. Marie frowned as she recalled. "I . . . I kicked something. It was big and hard . . . and shiny." Upon saying the word "shiny", Marie caught Rouge's attention.

"Did you take it? Do you have it with you now?" she asked excitedly. Marie shook her head.

"The whole next part was very strange. I picked it up, and then this voice, this terrifying voice, spoke to me from nowhere. It said, 'Give me my'. . . something. Emerald . . . it said to give him that emerald that I found on the ground."

"A _Chaos_ Emerald?" Shadow and Rouge asked in unison, both with an equal amount of shock in their voices. Marie nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. That was it—a Chaos Emerald." Shadow took out his own Chaos Emerald, showing it to Marie.

"Do you know what power these have?" he asked. Marie shook her head innocently.

"I'm afraid not," she replied. Shadow explained, sounding intimidating once more.

"These Emeralds have a great power that is dangerous when unleashed individually. They can manipulate time and space. That's what you saw before—my Chaos Control. But when seven of them come together, the person who holds them will gain ultimate power. So if they fall into the wrong hands . . ." Shadow's voice trailed off. Marie looked down.

"I . . . I had no idea that they were so powerful," she said, feeling like the rest of her story was now pointless. A brief pause followed. Rouge was deep in thought. She snapped out of it, and then asked,

"Do you know who was talking to you?" Marie shook her head.

"I don't know. The voice was . . . harsh. I remember . . . oh!" She snapped her fingers, recalling. "There was a robot, who came up to me and threatened me with its claw. I refused to give it the Emerald, but then there was a whole bunch of them, all threatening me. And then . . ." -another frown and a pause- " . . . then there was a man, a really tall man, with a pointy mustache and glasses. All I remember was his red outfit. He didn't say anything, but he slapped me across the face, took the Emerald, and . . ." Marie struggled to recall once more. Shadow and Rouge were leaning closer to her, longing to hear the rest of the story. ". . . there was a flash of light, and suddenly, I find myself underwater, unable to breathe or know what was happening. I guess that's when I passed out." Rouge and Shadow relaxed their rigid positions, taking in the story. Both knew exactly who that man was.

"Eggman," Rouge said finally, after a few minutes of silence, "he's up to something again. What happened to that Emerald, Marie?"

"I can honestly say that I don't know. I barely know how I even got mixed up in all this." Shadow toyed with his Emerald, feeling it between his fingers. The power of space and time coursed through his veins as he touched the smooth surface of the Emerald. Marie looked at it, curious. Shadow noticed her staring at the precious jewel. He held it out to her.

"This one's mine. I think it might be able to send you home." Marie felt it, also feeling the smoothness of the powerful jewel.

"Send me . . . back?" Shadow nodded, as did Rouge.

Rouge stood up and stretched out her arms. Marie looked out at the horizon, which was beginning to glow with faint sunlight.

"I wouldn't think you'd like being stuck here," Shadow said darkly, "Eggman is an evil man. If you're here and he finds you, then there could be trouble." He stood up , holding out his hand. "But first, why don't we let you rest before sending you through another Chaos Portal. I assume that's how you ended up here." Marie nodded.

"As long as someone is willing to house me." A rumble of thunder sounded. The glowing horizon started to show the dark shadows of storm clouds.

"The only question is . . . where can she go to stay while she rests?" Rouge asked, putting her hands on her hips. Shadow closed his eyes, pondering. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Your home might be more proper . . ." he said, pointing at Rouge, " . . . mine certainly isn't." Rouge nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. Marie, sit here while we discuss our plans. We'll be back, hon."

Marie sat down while Rouge and Shadow whispered to each other. Marie began to pick up stones and throw them into the water. _Plunk. Sploosh_. She wanted to go home, but this new world, it seemed, was nice. Marie was more terrified than she was showing and yet . . . this place drew her in. Drawn to the calm waves . . . to the dark sky . . . it was so peaceful compared to the life on the city streets. It was a nice escape from reality. Thunder was heard again, followed by a gust of wind. She shivered. A hedgehog and a bat were helping her . . . she had barely realized it.

"Before you catch hypothermia, come here." Rouge yelled.

Marie obeyed, running to the cave where Rouge and Shadow were. The thunder and lightning grew closer . . . and louder. Rouge began to tell Marie the plan. "We've decided that you're going to stay with me, but we must be careful. Eggman sent you to this world, and he lives in my area. Frankly, I don't trust any of those other goody-two-shoes that live in this area, so I'll take you back with me." Marie nodded. Rouge flew off, going back to ready her home. Marie looked at Shadow, who looked pensive as he stared off into the cloudy horizon. The waves were getting stronger. Marie, not wanting to disturb him, sat down next to where he was standing. Shadow looked down at her, again thinking of Maria.

Maria . . . she, too, had blond hair and blue eyes. What a wonderful person she was. Shadow's only true friend. He had a quick flashback—her smiling, laughing face and gentle voice. They were staring out of the window in the ARK space colony, looking down at the planet's surface. Marie—this new girl—was doing almost the very same thing. Shadow sat down with her, looking at the water again.

"Um . . . excuse me . . ." Marie was drawing in the sand with her finger, beginning a nervous question. "I . . . I still don't know your name or who you are. You and the bat never told me." Shadow stared straight ahead, strangely glad that she asked.

"My name is Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog." Faintly, Marie could see something on his face that she hadn't seen before—a smile.


	4. Chapter 4

Rouge was back where she started: Night Babylon. She had just walked out of her home after setting it up for a visitor.

"Well, that wasn't too hard," she said, rubbing her hands together after the effort, "Now I have to travel all the way back to the beach." Involuntarily, or so it seemed, Rouge looked at the dark building, Gimme Shelter, one more time. She could pick up a commotion coming from inside. Checking the neon-lit streets for anyone, Rouge flew quietly to the smoky building out of curiosity. _Curiosity may have killed the cat,_ she thought, _but the bat can survive anything._

Rouge heard a loud voice through the windows. Without a doubt, Dr. Robotnik was upset about something. She was able to catch a small piece of the rant.

"How could it be gone? I just had it, you rustbuckets! The best I can do is blame _you!_" Rouge, slowly becoming interested, peered through the window. She could see the robots, a whole crowd of them, looking at the angry figure—Dr. Robotnik. He was very tall, and was known for his above-average IQ. Robotnik always wore a red jacket with yellow and silver accents, along with black trousers with matching black boots. His face was defined by his prominent and pointy brown mustache, a triangular nose, blue glasses that covered his eyes, and a bald, round head. Besides his long legs, the doctor's body was like an egg, thus creating his commonly known nickname, "Dr. Eggman". Rouge continued to listen to his angry speech.

"You mean to say that _I'm_ the one who lost the Chaos Emerald? How could you think that? This is _unacceptable!_ I'll bet that girl stole it before I used the Chaos Control to send her here! We have to find her, then!" Rouge gasped and turned away from the window. _They're looking for Marie. _She listened as Eggman began to call different teams of his metallic minions. "Alpha team!" A group of large silver robots all stepped forward. "You go to Central City! Beta Team—to Emerald Town! Scan the beach, too. Neither group will come back without that Emerald!" The two groups began to swarm out of the building. Rouge rushed out to the beach as fast as she could, hoping that she wouldn't be seen. _Marie_.

* * *

Back on the beach, Shadow and Marie had a nice conversation. Marie learned all about Shadow's origins and about Maria Robotnik-his creator's granddaughter.

"She sounds like she was a very nice girl," Marie said. Shadow nodded.

"Maria was my friend. My only friend. She taught me many important things about life. About _living_. She always told me that her grandfather had given me a heart for a reason. There have been times when I've lost sight of that."

"Well, this is not one of those times," Marie replied, "you've been very kind to me. You and . . . and . . ."

"Rouge?"

"Yeah. Her." Marie smiled. Shadow looked at the sand.

"Thank you." There was a pause. The wind had begun to really kick up and thunder and lightning became more and more frequent. Shadow glared at the clouds. "Where is Rouge? She's been gone for an awfully long time . . ." Marie didn't respond. She was staring at the water, intently watching something.

"Shadow . . ." she asked, "do you see that?" Shadow looked out to where Marie was staring. He did see it—a shiny glare washing up on the shore. Marie stood up and ran to it, curious. When she saw what it was, Marie gaped and picked it up, immersed by whatever it was. Shadow, who had remained in his spot, was listening to an erratic pattern of fluttering wings and heavy breathing. Rouge was back.

"Shadow!" she said, out of breath, "Get Marie somewhere safer!"

"Why? What's wrong?" Shadow growled, his mood suddenly changing.

"It's Eggman! He's sending out search parties to find Marie. He thinks that she has the-"

Marie ran back, holding the shiny object and showing it to Rouge and Shadow. It was, no doubt, the Chaos Emerald that Eggman was after. Rouge slapped her forehead in frustration. Shadow snatched the Emerald from Marie.

"Hey!" Shadow threw the Emerald on the ground.

"You incompetent girl! Dr. Eggman thinks that you stole that Emerald, and now he's coming after you! You're risking your freedom to get back home!" Marie's face went white as a ghost. Lightning flashed.

"I . . . I . . ."

"Don't use excuses! Rouge, we need to get her out of here! Running isn't fast enough. Fly her back to your home, now!" Rouge grabbed Marie's hands, preparing to lift off.

"_Wait!_" Marie's cry startled both Rouge and Shadow. Without saying anything, Marie wrenched free from Rouge's grip and pulled Shadow into a hug. Shadow's eyes widened. The only other person who had ever hugged him like that was Maria. Shadow was unsure of whether he should hug her back, so he instead gently patted her shoulders. Marie whispered, "I'm glad your creator gave you a heart." Marie pulled away and lifted her hands up, ready for the flight. Rouge took her hands immediately and began to fly out. Shadow followed them, running out of the cave. Both of them stopped to behold an unpleasant surprise: the Beta Team was waiting, all the robots were standing right outside of the cave.

"_Crap _. . ." Shadow whispered fiercely. Eggman's voice suddenly rang out from the tiny flying vehicle he was piloting.

"Aha! I knew I'd find you somewhere, girl!" he shouted. Thunder crashed. Rouge descended, dropping Marie to the ground and getting back into her fighting stance. Shadow stood directly in front of Marie, protecting her.

"You won't touch her, Eggman!" Shadow yelled in a ferocious voice. Eggman laughed.

"Ha! How sweet! You two are trying to protect her, eh? Oh, this is rich! Beta Team, get the girl and find my Emerald!" As the voice of Eggman spoke, it began to rain—no, pour. Raindrops became louder than the thunder.

When the Beta Team charged, Rouge and Shadow sprung into action. As soon as the robots all began to advance, they both began to fight. Shadow used his Chaos Control to produce rays of energy and Chaos Spears to dissemble the robots, tearing through them madly. One by one, they began to fall apart explosively. Rouge mostly used her arms and legs to battle, skillfully flipping through the air and kicking at the robots, giving most of them fatal dents. Marie backed away, desperately wishing that she could help in some way. She didn't know how to fight like these two._ Think, there's gotta be something I can do . . ._

Shadow was continually shouting, "Chaos Control!" and "Chaos Spear!" over and over as he'd teleport from place to place, appearing to surprise the oncoming robots. Rouge used her wings to her advantage, flying before she did a corkscrew-like move, her body turning into a gracefully spinning arrow and stunning the robots with that attack. _What a violent scene,_ Marie thought, flustered, _and this is all because of me!_ Shadow suddenly yelled, being caught by a claw. The claw, belonging to a robot, twisted Shadow's arm behind his back. Marie couldn't just stand there. She ran over to Shadow, who yelled at her.

"Marie, would you get out of here?"

"I can't just stand here and watch you guys fight for me!" she screamed. Shadow threw his head back and growled in frustration. He wouldn't allow the same thing to happen to this girl as what happened to Maria. Maria . . . her face flashed through his mind, smiling. A flashback . . . he was falling . . . _promise me, Shadow . . . promise me . . . _

"Maria . . . ! Marie, don't you _dare_ do this for my sake! Protect yourself!"

His effort to convince the girl to escape was futile. She was suddenly grabbed by two more robots, each grabbing one of her arms. On her right, Rouge was also stuck in the clutches of two robots, struggling to break free. Eggman chortled loudly.

"I believe that you have something of mine, girl," he said, rubbing his hands together. Marie unintentionally dropped the Emerald after one of the robots wrenched her wrist backwards. She cried in pain. Eggman descended and snatched up the jewel. He chuckled. "You've all been thorns in my side today . . ." he said, rubbing his chin, ". . . so I'm going to have to give you-"-he looked at Marie with an evil grin- "the proper treatment." Without speaking, Eggman gestured to his robots. Rouge looked at Shadow, panicked.

"What about your Chaos Control?" she whispered fiercely. Shadow nodded over to the side opposite of him. His own Emerald was knocked away from him, leaving him almost completely powerless and much weaker. Rouge gritted her teeth. "Great."

Without warning, a horrible pain surged through the bodies of Shadow, Rouge, and Marie. They were all being electrocuted by their captors' claws. Marie uttered a scream, while Shadow and Rouge attempted to break free. After a few excruciating moments, the robots stopped their electrocution and eased their grips on their prisoners. All three of them were breathing heavily in pain. Shadow, without his Chaos Control, was left weaker than ever. Rouge closed her eyes in pain, but the moment that the robots had stopped the torturous pain, she struggled to break free by chopping through the metal exterior of the robot.

"Ha!" was her triumphant yell after she was able to finally break free. Eggman screamed angrily,

"No! Get her!"

"Sorry, old boy, it's gonna take a lot more than these old piles of junk to catch me again," Rouge retorted, turning on her feminine charm and once again becoming like a ninja, cutting through the mechanisms of the robots. Marie began to struggle to escape as Rouge had done, but Shadow, with labored breaths, warned her.

"No, do not try to escape! You'll make it worse!" Marie obeyed, becoming limp in the clutches of the robot. Rouge came to disable both of the robots that were holding Marie and Shadow.

"Thank me later," she said to Shadow, who nodded. He ran to grab his Emerald, but a sudden explosion came from the airborne vehicle that Eggman was driving. As if in slow motion, a missile sped towards Shadow, striking him in the chest and detonating. Marie and Rouge both shrieked.

"_Shadow!_"


	5. Chapter 5

"No . . . ! No, no, no!" Marie stared at the cloud of smoke where Shadow was standing, horrified. The smoke began to clear in the rain, revealing the crumpled body of Shadow. Marie rushed to him, her eyes watering. "No , no, no . . ."

"Haaaa!" Rouge's angry battle cry rang out as she spun around, attempting to attack more than one robot at a time with her corkscrew attack. Eggman shot more missiles, this time at Rouge, who dodged them one by one, causing them to hit the robots instead.

Marie hesitated to approach the figure, uneasy about what she might find. She heard a faint groan. Shadow was still alive . . .

"Shadow . . . ?" Shadow turned his head to face Marie.

"Leave here . . ." he said in a hoarse voice, "don't worry about me . . . go." Marie's eyes filled with more tears as she knelt down next to Shadow. His chest was bleeding, but since his fur was black, it was difficult to tell until Marie looked at the white patch of fur. Her voice trembled.

"No. You need someone by your side." Shadow shook his head, blinking in the decreasing rain.

"You need to get home, girl . . ." he lifted up his hand, shaking as he did. "There's my Chaos Emerald. Take it . . . and save yourself." Marie gingerly picked up the Emerald.

"I . . . I don't know how. I don't want to leave you like this . . ." Shadow sighed and shut his eyes. He held out his hand, silently asking for the Emerald. Marie looked behind her, making sure that the robots and Eggman were distracted, and then handed Shadow the jewel. Shadow began to whisper to it.

"_Chaos-_"

"No, no, no! Please don't . . ." Shadow narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not sending you home yet. Just trust me," Marie's tears blended with the rain while she tried to relax.

"Oh . . . okay . . ." Shadow closed his eyes again.

"_Chaos Control!_"

At first, nothing happened. Marie looked around for a flash of light, like what she saw when she had been sent to this new place. She blinked rapidly, and, after a moment of waiting, looked back at Shadow. A smile crept across his face, startling the girl.

"What's supposed to happen?" she asked, frowning in confusion. Shadow's face still bore a smile—and then he chuckled.

"Take a look for yourself," he replied. Marie looked at where Shadow pointed: her arm. When she saw it, the girl gasped. Her arms were both emitting a neon green glow, and when she looked down, the rest of her body was as well.

"But . . . how can _I_ have Chaos Control?"

"I've . . . I've given you my own power from the Emerald. Transferred it to you. Help Rouge," Shadow said, "I'll be fine right here . . ."

"You gave me all of your power?" the girl asked, shocked. Shadow nodded.

"You have my Chaos Control now. I couldn't just leave you defenseless while I'm weak. Go . . . while you can."

Marie nodded, understanding what to do. She held the Emerald firmly and began to walk towards the army of robots where Rouge was still mercilessly attacking them. Rouge and the robots all seemed to stop as Marie faced them as she glowed green. Eggman even turned to see what she was doing. Marie ran to the shoreline, where the water met the sand.

"I hope this works," she whispered. "_Chaos Control!_" Rouge moved out of the way, flying through the air. Marie lifted her hands and then thrust them forward, causing a huge wave of water to rise from the sea and stay put in the air over the army of robots. It hovered for a moment, and then Marie brought her hands down, and with a huge splash, covered the army. The robots all began to sputter and spark, completing the effect of the rain by short-circuting their mechanisms. Eggman was lost in the wave, screaming.

"I'll make you all pay for this!"

Marie shouted one more time,

"_Chaos Control!_" In a flash of light, every remnant of the battle—robots and Eggman alike—was gone by means of teleportation.

Marie's body lost its green glow. She suddenly felt faint by the sudden use of power. Rouge flew down next to Marie.

"Nicely done," she said, genuinely impressed, "much easier than what I was doing. Although I wish someone would have told me sooner. I could have stopped beating myself up." Marie didn't respond. She began to tip over, weakened. "Easy . . ." Rouge said, catching the girl. She noticed that there was no more rain falling from the dark clouds, and that the sunrise was beginning. When she came to a few moments later, Marie whispered,

"Rouge, where's Shadow?" Rouge led Marie back to where Shadow lay. She put the girl down on the ground next to Shadow. "Shadow?"

The dark figure's eyes were closed. Marie checked for his pulse and for a heartbeat over and over again, but found nothing to indicate any life left. She gasped. "Oh . . . oh, no . . ."

Marie's eyes filled with tears. She had barely even known him. He seemed like such a dark character, and yet, she could tell that he had goodness in him. Marie sat motionless for a few moments, and then finally set the Emerald down gently on Shadow's chest.

Rouge had no tears to shed, but she instead stared at the ground, lost in her own thoughts. She didn't want to look at Shadow's body. _In fact,_ she thought, _none of this would have happened if I didn't wake him up!_ Dwelling on this particular thought, Rouge flew further away from the scene in anger without a word, leaving Marie alone with the body.

As Marie stared at the ground and cried, the Emerald that she'd placed on Shadow's chest began to glow again, this time a white glow. It sunk into the white patch of fur underneath the chin, beginning to absorb the blood. The wound was being healed.

"Hmm?" Marie lifted her eyes to the body once again. The Emerald was gone, along with the blood, and Shadow's chest was glowing. The moment that Marie realized this, Shadow's entire body was emitting a luminescent white glow. She moved back, in awe yet afraid of what was happening. All at once, the glowing stopped. Marie kept her distance, fearful. A slight cough coming from the motionless body startled the girl. Cautious, she timidly spoke.

". . . Shadow?" The body began to shift. It was no longer just a body—but now it was Shadow the Hedgehog once again.

"Ahh . . ." Shadow started to groan as though waking up from a deep sleep. He didn't open his eyes yet. "Maria . . . ?" Marie frowned and shook her head, even though Shadow couldn't see her.

"No, Shadow. It's Marie." Shadow's eyes fluttered open. They still appeared very intimidating, yet peaceful.

"You sound just like her . . . forgive me." Marie smiled a watery smile and laughed.

"Shadow, you're . . . you're alive! Are you completely healed?"

"That's the power of a Chaos Emerald," he replied, smiling. With effort, he sat himself up and accepted Marie's hug. Just as they were hugging, Rouge came back, noticing the hug and backing away, confused.

"But . . . but how?" Marie and Shadow let go of each other. Marie excitedly explained.

"The Chaos Emerald, Rouge! It brought Shadow back!" Rouge raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Well, uh . . . I'm glad you're back, Shadow." Shadow nodded at her without saying anything, and then looked back at Marie.

"Marie?"

"Yes, Shadow?"

" . . . Thanks." Marie's face shone with a broad, sunny smile.

"You're welcome."

The three of them all stared into the horizon for about another half an hour without speaking, watching the orange and pink sun rise through the blue-gray remnants of the storm clouds. Shadow began to smile, but then it faded. No one noticed his change in expression. Rouge and Marie only noticed when he stood up.

"Eggman won't be happy if he comes back," he said solemnly. Marie looked down at the sand.

"No, I suppose not," she acknowledged softly, "but how do we know that he will?"

"He's a tricky guy to figure out," Rouge remarked. Shadow stroked his chin and closed his eyes.

"Marie, we may have to send you back home now." Marie's facial expression became completely crestfallen. "I don't want to see you so sad to leave," Shadow ordered, suddenly taking Marie's shoulders into his fingers, "please." Marie nodded as Shadow removed his hands.

"Thank you for protecting me, both of you. I'm glad to have made some new friends. Also, I apologize for . . ."

"For what?" Rouge asked. Marie inhaled sharply.

"For causing you trouble. It must have been hard to treat me so nicely when I was so pathetic."

"Oh, stop it. You helped us, you know," Rouge explained. "See, without you, Shadow and I never would have found out that Eggman was up to something, so thanks for that." Marie smiled.

"Well . . . you're welcome," she stammered. Shadow raised his arms.

"Chaos Control!"

A flash of light and a huge gust of wind blew the sand around. Shadow stared at the wind, which was surrounding Marie, and then immediately ran up to her.

"One more thing!" he shouted over the wind. Holding out his arm, Shadow took one of his golden rings from around his wrist and gave it to Marie. "To remember us by!" Marie smiled, and as she reached out for Shadow one more time just before the Chaos Control swept her back to her home, she kissed his cheek gently. Shadow touched his face where she had kissed it, in awe. The last flash of light flickered, and then Marie was back in her home, still clutching the gold ring.


End file.
